What precisely is motherhood? What does it mean to be a mother? These are simple questions that are tough to answer. Yes, having a family; yes, having children; yes, adopting children. But isn’t there more to being a mother than that? A massive, overwhelming, and magnificent element at the heart of parenthood is difficult to express into words. It’s a feeling, not an explanation. Perhaps “love” should be the title of that work. If this is the case, the mother-child bond is particularly unique. You’ll know it when you’ve experienced it. Because Mother’s Day is only a few days away, we asked 18 moms, “What does it mean to be a mother?” The responses we received were lovely, encouraging, and straightforward. Parenthood means realizing the value of learning about your children and then encouraging and educating them to be their best selves, in my opinion. My greatest hope is for this unconditional love and acceptance to empower and build my children while also encouraging self-confidence and kindness! I value the amazing blessing and privilege of being a mother. To me, being a mother is being fearless, being a positive role model, being a continual cheerleader for every milestone my children will achieve, displaying an infinite supply of unconditional love, and cherishing the numerous memories that are truly priceless.
